Sufyan al-Thawri

"If one tear falls on account of fear of God, it is better then fasting throughout life."

"I fear to accept anything from anybody lest my heart should start cherishing love for that person. I desire only to live in His thoughts."

"There is a punishment for all things. The punishments for the gnostic is to be cut off from His remembrance."

"He who spends life in remoteness is much better, for it was the practice of the foremost saintly people. They liked to live comely instead of grandeur."

"Moaning and wailing have ten kinds of which nine are full of showoff and only one kind is full of reality."

"The king who seeks company of the ascetics is superior to that ascetic who seeks nearness of the king."

"Sell not the friendship of the Lord for the friendship of the world and its possessions."

"Worse than sin against God is sin against man."